


finders keepers, losers weepers

by BloodRaven55



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Anti-Faunus Racism (RWBY), Canon Compliant, F/F, Fantastic Racism, Fluff, One Shot, SPOILERS UP TO V7C7, Spoilers: Volume 7 (RWBY), Volume 7 (RWBY), basically don't read unless you're up to date XD, but also some, it’s pretty mild though, oh and quick warning for, so there's, this is basically next episode's dinner through the lens of bumbleby lmao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:41:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21813091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BloodRaven55/pseuds/BloodRaven55
Summary: “Honestly part of me wants to go in full combat gear just to see the look on Jacques’ face.” Blake let out a long suffering sigh, like she was genuinely saddened not to be able to go through with that idea. “But unfortunately we can’t risk antagonising him any more than necessary right now.”“Shame,” Yang said, thinking about how much she’d like to see Blake given free rein to put Weiss’ father in his place. “But he’ll get what’s coming to him sooner or later. We’ll see to that.”“You’re right.” Blake’s features hardened with determination, and she grabbed Yang’s hand, tugging her towards the door. “We’re going to be the picture of decorum at this dinner—play nice as much as it takes—and then one day I’m going to help burn Jacques Schnee’s kingdom to ashes.”
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long
Comments: 8
Kudos: 189





	finders keepers, losers weepers

**Author's Note:**

> The details for next week's episode inspired me and so here's a thing.
> 
> Lyrics in the title are from Emperor's New Clothes by Panic! at the Disco.
> 
> Enjoy!

Yang looked herself over in the mirror, face falling into a pout as she tugged frustratedly at the tie still stubbornly hanging loose around her neck. She was starting to regret choosing a suit over a dress if this was how much more complicated they were to put together. She had to admit that the lilac dress shirt and the sharp black blazer looked good on her, though, and the formal wear made a change from anything she’d really worn before.

There had hardly been many fancy events to attend when she was growing up on Patch, and while they hadn’t been struggling for money they still couldn’t really afford to splash out on more extravagant clothes without good cause. Weiss had offered to buy all of the other members of the group an outfit of their choice for this evening, however, saying that it was only fair since they were going to have to spend the evening putting up with her father.

No matter how much they insisted that it wasn’t necessary, Weiss insisted back that the money she had left over from when her father had been supporting her was hers to do with as she wished, and so they all relented in the end. Which led Yang to the present, where she was now the owner of crisp, brand new formal wear that she didn’t even know if she’d have any reason to wear again after tonight, and which somehow made her feel both more self-assured and more insecure at the same time.

“Yang?”

Her partner’s voice stopped her from overthinking it more, and she went to open the door, freezing on the spot as she processed how absolutely _stunning_ Blake looked. It was a little amusing that they’d both opted for suits, but right now she was too busy trying to remember how to form words to find it funny. Blake had picked out a golden jacket and trousers with a black dress shirt underneath, and it was a departure from her usual style but in the best possible way.

Had Blake’s jawline always been that defined? Had her shoulders always been that broad? Had her eyes always been such a warm and pretty shade of amber? She was snapped out of her lovestruck daze as Blake coughed quietly, a small smile on her face and her cheeks flushed with just the faintest hint of pink. Yang rubbed at the back of her neck awkwardly, averting her eyes before the staring became even more weird.

“You look _great_!” _s_ he blurted out, far too loudly and far too quickly. “Like, that suit really, uh, suits you!”

“Thanks,” Blake said with a fond roll of her eyes, smile shifting into a smirk. “You clean up nicely as well.”

“D-Do I?” Yang swallowed hard, finally getting control over her words even if her heart was still pounding at breakneck speed in her chest. “Glad to hear it.”

Blake’s eyes drifted down to the unfastened tie still looped uselessly around Yang’s neck, and she shot Yang a playful grin. “Do you need some help there?”

Yang hesitated, but there was no need to cling to her pride around her partner, and she nodded with a laugh. “Yes, please. I remember the vague idea from dad, but there were never exactly many times growing up where I needed to know how to do up a tie.”

Blake stepped forward, letting the door shut behind her, and carefully took hold of Yang’s tie, beginning to untangle the mess Yang had made of it. “There were never many occasions worthy of dressing up in the White Fang either,” Blake commented, expression turning thoughtful. “But I remember watching my dad dress up to do speeches sometimes before I ran away from home, and he refreshed my memory of how to do it while I was on Menagerie again after the Fall.”

Silence fell over them at the reminder of the worst night of their lives, and Yang found herself increasingly distracted by how close Blake was to her. She could faintly pick up the lavender scent of her partner’s perfume, and the rhythmic sound of Blake’s breathing was almost hypnotising. It didn’t take her partner long to redo the tie correctly, her fingers fast and skilled as she wove a perfect knot in the silk, and Yang couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed when Blake finished the job and stepped backwards out of her space again.

“There we go,” Blake said, voice soft and eyes tender. Yang’s breath caught in her throat, the intimacy of the moment overwhelming for a second, and then she returned her partner’s smile.

“Thanks, Blake.” The atmosphere suddenly felt too heavy, like they were on the verge of a conversation that they didn’t have time for right now, and she broke it with a casual wink. “Can’t disappoint all the stuffy Atlesians by showing up looking like a mess, after all.”

Blake laughed. “Honestly part of me wants to go in full combat gear just to see the look on Jacques’ face.” She let out a long suffering sigh, like she was genuinely saddened not to be able to go through with that idea. “But unfortunately we can’t risk antagonising him any more than necessary right now.”

“Shame,” Yang said, thinking about how much she’d like to see Blake given free rein to put Weiss’ father in his place. “But he’ll get what’s coming to him sooner or later. We’ll see to that.”

“You’re right.” Blake’s features hardened with determination, and she grabbed Yang’s hand, tugging her towards the door. “We’re going to be the picture of decorum at this dinner—play nice as much as it takes—and then one day I’m going to help burn Jacques Schnee’s kingdom to ashes.”

Yang suddenly felt much warmer than she had done a few seconds ago, and she let Blake lead her out of the room. Sometimes she forgot where her partner had come from—where Blake’s roots were planted—but moments like this reminded her that Blake was at her core a political being totally set on achieving her goal of equality, no matter the work she had to put in to reach it.

* * *

“A toast,” Jacques declared loudly, ignoring Ironwood’s pointed glare from the opposite end of the table, “to a new era of prosperity for Atlas and Mantle.”

“Prosperity for _you_ , you mean,” Blake muttered under her breath, cutting into her fish with slightly more force than necessary.

Yang knew that Jacques couldn’t possibly have heard the comment, but he seemed to have sensed Blake’s hostility anyway, no matter how hard she tried to mask it behind a veneer of civility. He fixed Blake with a withering look, and then turned to Weiss with a smile that was sickeningly affable and fake. “Weiss, dear, did you _really_ have to drag all of your little pets along?”

The language was just vague enough that none of them could call him out for it, but there was no mistaking the way he glanced at Blake out of the corner of his eye as he said it, or the way that she shrank back into her chair in response, ears flattening against her head. “I— I think I need to use the bathroom,” Blake forced out, standing and leaving the room before he could object.

Yang waited several more agonising minutes so as to avoid suspicion, pushing her vegetables around her plate where she would usually wolf them down since her stomach was suddenly too unsettled to eat anything more, and then she rose and followed her partner. She was fully prepared to leave Blake alone if her partner asked or if it became clear that her company wasn’t welcome right now, but she wanted to at least check that Blake was okay.

When she located the bathroom and cautiously opened the door, she found her partner bent forward over the sink, head bowed and shoulders shaking. For a painful second she thought that Blake was crying, but then she realised that her partner was just trying to control her breathing. Still, spending a prolonged period of time in such an abrasive and malicious atmosphere was obviously getting to Blake, and Yang just wished she knew how to help.

“Hey,” she said gently, hoping to announce her presence without startling her partner.

Blake looked up, gaze softening as their eyes met, though she still looked somewhat downcast. “Yang.” Her brow furrowed in confusion. “Did you need something?”

Yang felt her heart break a little in her chest. “ _No_. No, Blake, I— I just wanted to make sure you were doing okay. I know this can’t be easy for you.”

“It definitely isn’t _easy_.” Blake sighed. “But I can do this. He can make all the barbed comments he wants, but in the end he won’t _win_.”

A proud smile spread across Yang’s face, admiration flooding her veins. “And what do you need me to do?”

“Just— Just be there,” Blake said, sounding a little more determined. “I just need you to be there with me.”

Yang nodded. “Of course. Of course I’ll be here for you, Blake.” Her partner leaned in for a hug, and Yang returned it without hesitation, savouring the feeling of having Blake in her arms, all softness and warmth and lean muscle. “Always. I promise.”

Blake pulled back after a long moment, but she took Yang’s hand firmly in her own, maintaining the connection between them. “Then let’s go and get the rest of this awful dinner over with.”

**Author's Note:**

> And that's a wrap. As always, any feedback except for non-constructive criticism is more than welcome and I'll see y'all next time <3


End file.
